One reason for the popularity of portable, wireless communication devices, such as cellular phones, is that it frees people from tethers to fixed communication networks. A user can roam freely in the network, yet remain in touch with others. Thus, mobile communication devices provide a means by which people can remain in contact with whomever they want, wherever they happen to be. This is especially true among groups of individuals who share a common interest or affiliation (e.g. families, co-workers, those who share a common avocation or interest, such as tennis or music, and members of a club). Such groups shall be referred to herein as an affinity group.
Several existing technologies facilitate interaction among the members of an affinity group: Internet “chat rooms,” electronic mail (e-mail), advanced personal information management (PIM) applications such as Microsoft® Outlook, paging services, and advanced messaging services employing contact servers. Some Internet chat software, for example AOL® Instant Messenger™, ICQ or other similar programs, inform members of an affinity group which other members of the group are currently logged into the server. Microsoft Outlook provides a means for automatically scheduling meetings and notifying participants based on available time shown on each individual's calendar. Some advanced messaging services employing contact servers provide information on how to best contact a particular individual based on the person's stored schedule or preferences. In some cases, the assistance may even extend to automatically setting up a call using the best possible known method at that time.
All these technologies support, to some degree, the desire of members of an affinity group to stay in close contact. The Internet chat room approach of informing the user which affinity group members are on-line is particularly useful. However, this approach has limitations, the most serious of which is that the user must be logged onto the Internet and in contact with a particular server to receive information on the status of the other group members. For example, suppose a first group member would like to chat with a second member. The first member has no way of knowing whether the first member is logged onto the chat server without first logging onto the server himself.
Therefore, there is a need for a communication method that allows members of an affinity group to receive up to date status information about other group members without having to log into a server.